Brandy Cocktails: Cognac

Vieux Carré Cocktail

Vieux Carré Cocktail Ingredients

1 oz. Hennessy Privilège VSOP Cognac

1 oz. Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey Bottled-In-Bond

1 oz. Cinzano Sweet Vermouth

4 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters

4 dashes Peychaud's Bitters

Garnish

Lemon twist

Vieux Carré Cocktail Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and add ice. Stir 25-35 times. Strain into a double rocks glass and add ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Vieux Carré Cocktail Story

The Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, family-owned and operated since 1886, is where the Vieux Carré was born. Long-time bartender Walter Bergeron first served up the drink in the 1930s at the Swan Bar, which was replaced by the now iconic rotating Carousel Bar. Thankful to be tending bar again post-Prohibition, Bergeron paid tribute to the mixed cultural heritage of the region with the drinks ingredients: American rye, Caribbean bitters, Italian vermouth, and Cognac from France. The drink is affectionately named “Old Square” in French, after the original moniker for the French Quarter.